District preview team recommends Illustrative Math for secondary grades; board members ask for full materials and cost details

Farmington Public Schools staff recommended Illustrative Mathematics (IM 3.60) for middle-school math and a phased high-school rollout after previewing multiple resources.

Colleen Sam, the district’s K–12 math and science coordinator, said a preview team of teachers examined two resources over the past year and is recommending Illustrative Math because it emphasizes problem-based learning, collaborative discourse, diagnostic checks for unfinished learning, and embedded math-language routines. Carrie Heaney, a secondary instructional coach who worked with teachers in classrooms during the preview, said teachers consistently reported greater student engagement in pilot lessons and that students described the resource as providing clearer organization and supports.

What the adoption would include: Sam said the purchase would provide five years of teacher and student digital access for the adopted courses, physical teacher editions and student workbooks (workbooks are the ongoing item), kits for three courses with consumable and nonconsumable materials, and professional learning for teachers. The district plans to phase algebra 1 and geometry first and adopt algebra 2 a year later to allow instructional acclimation.

Board questions and implementation concerns: Trustees sought specifics. Trustee Heinrich requested access to full student editions and said she wanted to review physical/digital copies; Sam said books would be made available at the district office and digital access could be provided. Board members asked whether the resource requires supplemental materials to address “unfinished learning” and procedural fluency; staff acknowledged a need for targeted supplements (for example, DreamBox or Magma Math) and committed to plan professional learning and four release days for teachers next year. Trustees also asked for a clear breakdown of one-time and recurring costs and confirmation of the ongoing subscription price for student workbooks.

Why it matters: Staff argued the problem-based model places student reasoning at the center of instruction and includes formative checks that let teachers adjust instruction daily. Trustees emphasized the need to ensure alignment with college- and career-readiness measures and asked staff for evidence of learning gains from the pilot; staff said they collected teacher and student engagement feedback and will provide further assessment data as it becomes available.

Next steps: Staff will provide access to full teacher and student materials for board review, supply a detailed cost breakdown (one-time kits and ongoing subscription), and outline the professional learning supports and timing for implementation across middle and high school grades.